Gettysburg gathers to discuss Warrior Stadium

Locals at Monday's meeting asked for improvments to the facility

Athletic Facility Consultant Ryan Bingeman, above left, answers questions about the Warrior Stadium feasibility study as members of the audience listen on Monday in Gettysburg. (THE EVENING SUN CLARE BECKER)

Gettysburg Area High School graduate Mike Coldsmith was on the field for the first game played at Warrior Stadium in 1980 and though he remembers his time on the football team with fondness, he thinks the complex has become a disgrace to the district and the community.

And he's not the only one.

Gettysburg Area School District sports officials, student and community members gathered Monday to tell the district's Board of Education why improvements to Warrior Stadium, located at the middle school, must be made.

"It's just an embarrassment," Coldsmith said. "It's time to do something. We've been through how many schools since then, but we haven't done anything to that stadium."

The district's sports complex - which is used by the entire community - has been a hot topic for the past several years.

In 2006, administrators wanted to build a new facility at the high school, but when the project's price tag was upwards of $9 million, board members voted against the construction in 2009. The conversation then turned to improving the existing structure of Warrior Stadium.

At the end of 2012, the board commissioned a study to analyze the structure's condition and, as a result, a list of recommended public safety and aesthetic changes was presented in February.

Monday's meeting was an opportunity for district officials to gather public opinion on the suggested improvements and community members came ready to talk.

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Some said the district needed to update the stadium's facilities, such as the portable toilets, so the school and community can take pride in the complex.

"When my kids need to go to the bathroom, we leave the game," said Jodi Leedy, a 1994 graduate. "My kids don't go to the bathroom in a [portable toilet]."

Others focused on safety issues like the poor quality of the track, lack of sufficient field lighting and the hazard conditions of the bleachers.
"Not only is the current stadium embarrassing, it's dangerous," said Keith Stanbaugh, Gettysburg graduate class of 1990.

Indeed, many of the proposed changes need to be made to meet safety regulations and fulfill requirements made by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The suggested remodeling would improve the facility's bleachers, track, playing field, stadium lighting, concession area and press box.

If board members approved all the changes recommended in this year's study, the total cost of the project would be around $3.5 million.

Yet, others said the district should use the money to fund educational necessities such as schoolbooks.

Jennifer Campbell said her high school daughter could not bring home her books to study because there weren't enough copies for every student.

"I do feel education should come first," Campbell said.

Though she is not opposed to making some of the suggested changes, Campbell said school officials need to find a balance between funding athletics and education initiatives.

Members of the community were asked to fill out a questionnaire before leaving the meeting and district officials will discuss the results in a meeting scheduled for March 25.